Install/Run problems

[DavidBE]

I'm trying to install and run Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware for the first time as I'm sure my computer (Windows XP Home SP3) became infected with something a couple of days ago, but AVG (and the freebie Norton Security Scan) isn't detecting anything other than a few tracking cookies.

However, when I run the Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware installer, the progress bar in the installer window gets to the end, and the progress report gets to 'Finalizing installation', but it then sticks and never completes. I have to kill the installer from the Task Manager.

As the files have installed even though the installer never finished and returned control, I've tried running Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware anyway, but although the process appears in the Task Manager, no window or anything appears.

After reading the FAQ threads, I did try downloading and running RootRepeal as described in http://www.malwarebytes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=12709, but all attempts to run RootRepeal immediately result in a BSOD (which is something I've very seldom seen in all my years running XP).

Any advice/help appreciated.

[Lane]

Hmmm....

Are you trying to run/install in safe mode? If not, I would try that. I had a case where I couldn't even run mbam at all, or any other program for that matter. One of my dad's co-workers had this nasty rogue anti-virus. To be more specific it was called System Security, and there were plenty of more infections as well. MBAM would just pop-up, stay in the task manager, but never load. I couldn't even search for online scanners, everytime I went to a anti-virus related site it would have a redirect to some fake antivirus software site. So I figured I'd go up into the address bar and type it word for word www.eset.com/onlinescan or whatever the address was, and it worked; which was strange. I got the ESET scan running, only found 6 items, and the problem still remained (mbam is the only hope in these cases). Then, what I did, was I had a copy of windows ultimate boot disk, and I was able to boot to that (it's just a live cd of XP, which boots into memory) and run Super Anti-Spyware and Avira Anti-Virus, they helped a great deal. After that I booted into safe mode, and was able to install/run mbam, which blasted out over 60+ malacious trojans/malware.

So try these steps..

safe mode, then run mbam

safe mode, run the eset scanner

if all else fails...try to get the ultimate boot disk, run the scans

then try to boot into safe mode and get mbam running.

[DavidBE]

Well, I've tried safe mode, and it hasn't made any difference. Installing Malwarebytes' Anti-Malwarem the installer still locks up at the point when it's saying 'Finishing Install' and the progress bar's at the end, and I have to kill it. The files again all appear to be there, but trying to run Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware produces a process in the task Manager but no window or anything. Trying to run RootRepeal still produces an immediate BSOD. System restore also doesn't work. It lets me choose a restore point, but when I click Next on the confirmation page, nothing happens.

I'm running the ESET online scanner at the moment, and so far it says it has found 6 TrojanDownloaders; but it's taken 50 minutes to get through 60000 files, so this is going to take a very long time given that AVG scans show about 1000000 files. I'm afraid this won't complete, as one of the symptoms my computer's experiencing at the moment is complete lockup part way through lengthy scans (and sometimes when doing other things, though I haven't figured what the trigger condition is yet).

As Hijack This does run, I guess if this ESET scan doesn't sort it I should post in the Hijack This Log forum.

[Lane]

The Ultimate Boot disk may help too if you are badly infected with some type of malicious trojan/malware. If all seems hopeless you could always reformat.

[yardbird]

if you are badly infected with some type of malicious trojan/malware.

Scan and post logs - read note at bottom in green

If you're having Malware related issues with your computer that you're unable to resolve.

1. Please read and follow the instructions provided here: I'm infected - What do I do now?
2. If needed please post your logs in a NEW topic here: Malware Removal - HijackThis Logs
   
3. When posting logs please do not use any Quote, Code, or other tags. Please copy/paste directly into your post and do not attach files unless requested.
   

• Please do not post any logs in the General forum. We do not work on any logs posted in the General forum.
  
• Please do not install any software or use any removal/scanning tool except for those you're requested to run by the Helper that will assist you.
  
• Using these other tools often makes the cleanup task more difficult and time consuming.
  
• If you have already submitted for assistance at one of the other support sites on the Internet then you should not post a new log here, you should stay working with the Helper from that site until the issue is resolved.
  
• Do not assume you're clean because you don't see something in the logs. Please wait until the person assisting you provides feedback.
  
• There are often many others that require asistance as well, so please be patient. If no one has responded within 48 hours then please go ahead and post a request for review
  

• NOTE: If for some reason you're unable to run some or any of the tools in the first link, then skip that step and move on to the next one. If you can't even run HijackThis, then just proceed and post a NEW topic as shown in the second link describing your issues and someone will assist you as soon as they can.
  

[DavidBE]

Oh no - this is a disaster!

Can anyone help with this?

I posted in the Hijack this forum, but no-one has answered there yet. While waiting, and before the latest answers above I tried again and again to get Malwarevytes' anti-Malware to run - renaming the program exe, renaming the installer etc. Eventually I did get it to run.

It found various files (hidden from Explorer), deleted some, and said it needed a restart to delete the others. I restarted, rescanned, found evrything had gone bar one Registry key and one .exe. I set it to delete them, it needed a restart for one of the deltes again, I restarted, rescanned, and found that the one .exe was still there. So I tried again ....

And on the attempt to restart, my computer was completely stuffed. Windows wouldn't start in Normal mode, wouldn't start with Last Known Good Settings, and wouldn't even start in Safe mode, just the same bluscreen error saying Windows couldn't start. No way to start it.

I have no other computer, no access to another, no other access to the internet. So the only thing I could do was trigger the Rescue option that this machine offers part of the way through boot up. This made a backup of all disk contents, then reinstalled the original Windows (from a separate rescue partition), with my machine opening as it was when I bought it years ago other than the backup directory of all the previous contents.

It's taking me ages to reestablish my broadband connection, reupgrade Windows, reintall programs etc. Most of it would be OK but ....

Although the Documents and Settings folder and contents from before is in the backup, I can't access the Documents and Settings folder of my old user account. It just denies me access. And I have vital content in there I really, really need to access. Does anyone know a way that I can access the files inside? Please ... this is really desperate.

[DavidBE]

OK, I've got access to my old Documents and Settings now, so I can start rebuilding. So this topic is now over.

[yardbird]

I don't know? you never said if your Malwarebytes' was working? Is it version 1.39? Please feel free to stop back and post any other issues. regards...